Posted on 09/28/2007 5:48:12 AM PDT by indcons
CONWAY, N.H. - Democrat John Edwards yesterday changed course and announced that he would accept public campaign financing, which was once the standard approach for presidential candidates but has in the last two elections become a last refuge among those unable to raise enough from private donors.
The move, announced just before the end of the third-quarter fund-raising period on Sunday, allows Edwards to take up to about $21 million in matching funds in exchange for abiding by a primary-season spending limit of $50 million. But the move is likely to be perceived as an acknowledgment that he has been unable to compete with senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the fight for Democratic dollars.
"I'm not holier-than-thou about this," Edwards said last evening after a town-hall meeting. "What's become clear to me over time is that Washington is awash in money and that the system is corrupt and needs to be changed."
The Edwards campaign presented the move as a principled decision in line with his calls to reduce the political sway of private money. As with a previous challenge to his opponents not to accept contributions from lobbyists, which was refused by Clinton, the Edwards campaign called upon Clinton and Obama to follow his lead.
"He's doing his part to curb the influence of money on politics," spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield told reporters.
[...]
As of June 30, Edwards had raised $23 million, but that was far behind Clinton's $63 million (including $10 million she transferred from her Senate account) and Obama's $59 million, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Edwards Campaign Theme Song:
Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and you’re okay.
Money, its a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think Ill buy me a football team.
Money, get back.
Im all right jack keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, its a hit.
Dont give me that do goody good bullshit.
Im in the high-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a lear jet.
Money, its a crime.
Share it fairly but dont take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that they’re
Giving none away.
The ambulances must be changing their routes. He needs to move off of Main Street and start chasing them on Elm.
He’s an arrogant girly-man POS.
I will be elected president before Mr. Edwards...and that will be never, thank God. Edwards is a real tower of jello.
Back on the taxpayer’s teet again.
He’ll be done soon and can resume chasing ambulances for a living.
What a destestable POS.
John Edwards takes a “principled” stand on private financing!
Except only for the Primary
...except he said “for the whole campaign...”
...except he only meant for the whole “Primary” campaign...
...except he said he was choosing the path to public financing because it was the right thing to do...
...except not in the general election
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